Your Questions + My Answers

A Reader requested my thoughts about the following issues (condensed question version):

Patience and Faith

Patience + Faith + Trust
when it comes to the Lord’s plan for their life

How could God use me?

Feelings of inadequacy

First of all, let’s give our Reader a round of applause for bringing such great topics to the table. The issues above are not new issues, so if you are experiencing the same concerns/thoughts, please take comfort in knowing that you are not alone.  Did you hear that, Reader? You are not alone.

Patience + Faith:

We need to see patience and faith as a married couple. Marry the two concepts together. Patience is a form of waiting. An old English term was used for our word patience, and it was called, “longsuffering.” Longsuffering has an accurate description for our patient word, doesn’t it? Sometimes we do wait a long time for a desire to come to pass. Sometimes our waiting can feel like suffering because we think that if we just had what we wanted now, everything would be SO much better. But, you have to pause and reflect, because that last sentence makes it sound as if we know what’s best for us, and sadly we don’t. We may think we know what’s best for us, but only our Lord truly knows what’s best for us, and that’s where faith steps in.

Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Faith is just another form of the words trust and believe. Faith, trust, and belief are jointed together in union. We have faith in our Lord because we know that the Lord is good. We have faith in our Lord because we know that HE is not a liar. We may not see the spiritual realm, but we have faith that it’s there.

Patience is a tool. Patience is a tool designed to help you grow. Patience helps develop faith. Patience helps develop trust. Patience should help you draw closer to the Lord. Patience can even develop gratitude. Think about it, if you waited a long time for something before it happened, think about how grateful you’ll be when you get it; Could you be as grateful for something if it was just handed to you?

 Patience is not a bad thing; it’s making you stronger and devolving a stronger character in you. Waiting may be long, but it certainly doesn’t have to be suffering. Your own attitude towards the wait determines if you are going to suffer; so wait with a good attitude. IF you wait with a good attitude then that displays faith and trust.

If you wait with a suffering attitude, such is complaining, worrying, running to others for advice, or trying to make things happen in your own way and time…does that show trust? No.

 “The times we find ourselves having to wait on others may be the perfect opportunities to train ourselves to wait on the Lord.” ~ Joni Eareckson Tada

“Timing is so important! If you are going to be successful in dance, you must be able to respond to rhythm and timing. It’s the same in the Spirit. People who don’t understand God’s timing can become spiritually spastic, trying to make the right things happen at the wrong time. They don’t get His rhythm – and everyone can tell they are out of step. They birth things prematurely, threatening the very lives of their God-given dreams.” ~ T. D. Jakes

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Trust means, Lord, I don’t understand why things are taking longer than I want, but I trust that you are working everything out for my good and that you have a good plan for me. I know that in your time you will direct me, and my desires will come to pass, because I know you see the big picture.

God’s Plan for MY Life:

Yes, the Lord does have a wonderful plan for your life. If you don’t think you have a wonderful plan for your life, know that you are telling yourself a lie and the lie needs to be stopped.

The proof is in Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.”

Come to understand how much God loves YOU! When my Reader says, MY LIFE…what they are telling me is this: I’m looking at others and I’m seeing their success and I want to know where’s my special plan? When will it be my turn?

Stop looking at others and start looking at God. It is common to think the grass is greener on the other side, but it’s not. Everybody goes through something at some point in their life.

God loves you so much and HE has an individual plan for you. Your journey doesn’t have to look like anybody else’s. Go to God because HE promises to direct your steps, and HE wants you to live in abundance to the FULL!

Remember, the Lord wants you to grow, mature, and trust. Everything that comes into your life is a lesson. It could be a situation where God wants to develop you in certain areas before releasing something great. You also need to remember that people are involved in your plan. You may be ready and developed for something great, but the parties involved in your greatness still need work, and HE’s working on them so that when the time is right, everything has a grace, flow, and ease to it.

How Can God Use Me?

+

Feelings of Inadequacy:

My Reader said, “I see myself as just another person.”

You’re telling me what you see: “I see…”

I need you to stop telling yourself what you see and start telling yourself what GOD sees.

Do you see the difference? “I see…” is a reflection of YOUR emotions. Emotions have no stability to them; they can change on a dime; You can be happy one minute and sad the next.

Stop looking through your eyes and look through God’s eyes and see what HE has to say about you, because HE is the one that made you, and baby, you are not “just” anything, especially to our GOD!

Realign your thoughts with the word of God. When you have a harsh thought about yourself, know that the thought is not from God, because God is never harsh; disregard the harsh thought by not entertaining it.

Ephesians 4:23 “And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.)”

You are God’s masterpiece. God formed you in your mother’s womb. God knows everything about you and loves you. HE took the time to give you a fingerprint that no one else will ever have. HE cares about everything you go through, in fact it says in Psalm 56:8

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”

And in Luke 12:7

“And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”

You ask, “Why would God use someone like me?” No. Reframe the question in your head: Why WOULDN’T God use someone like me? Why wouldn’t HE? HE made you with purpose, and HE may be using you in ways you aren’t even aware of. Don’t question our God.

God can use anybody at anytime. Look back in the bible, some of the greatest saints and prophets were horrible sinners and had horrible pasts; did God stop from using them for greatness? No. There is a quote that says, every saint has a past and ever sinner has a future. And in Colossians HE says, “I have made you worthy.”

There is only one you and God needs you. If you feel like you need God to show you favor, then go to HIM for that request. Don’t get your value mixed up with what you do or who you know or how many friends you have or if you’re single. Get your value from knowing the truth and the truth is, you are designed with purpose, God loves you, and God will never leave you.

In Conclusion:

·        Let patience draw you closer to God

·        Let patience teach you

·        Trust God, because HE is not a liar

·        Stop comparing your life to others

·        Your journey doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s

·        You are God’s masterpiece

·        God IS using you because you are designed with a purpose